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Thursday, 25 June 2009

Join Facebook, Get Raptured

Something very weird is going on. Yesterday Dave Walker put on his blog some interesting figures about people and interests on Facebook, establishing

18,623,700 people live in the United Kingdom and are on Facebook. 4,123,460 say they are 'single', 3,722,720 'in a relationship', 873,780 'engaged' and 3,228,320 'married'. Of 8,442,940 men, 3,566,820say they are 'interested in women', 106,400 say they are 'interested in men'. Of 9,422,220 women, 3,200,880 say they are are 'interested in men', 281,800say they are 'interested in women'.

Interests1,220,280 of these people like 'sex', and an almost identical number like 'sleeping' (these were the single biggest numbers I could find for any interests, though there may be other very popular interests I haven't thought of!) 909,940 people like 'school' 663,580 people like 'pubs'

Religious interests95,400 people like 'Christ'90,860 people like 'the Bible'77,020 people like 'Islam'31,820 people like 'praying'24,440 people like 'God'15,740 people like 'prayers'8,860 people like 'church'6,560 people like 'Christianity'3,740 people like 'confession'1,820 people 'going to church'440 people like 'Bible study'240 people like 'Anglican Communion'

Get the idea? Something has happened to over 3 million, who are no longer among us. Even more disturbingly, only 6,834,220 claim to speak UK English. Even more unexpectedly, with only 4,620 Roman Catholics, 38,940 claim to be “Monks.”

Sounds like 'Father' John Nelson Darby has been prolific since his dear departure: thrice as many now-departed pre-trib', pre-mill', Dispensationalist sectarians than regular Anglican worshippers in the UK.

Only 1.3% on Facebook admit to a same-sex interest ?! That's a bit short of the national estimate of 6% from surveys done by the Government...Anyone would think people don't always tell the truth on there :-)

Child of God by adoption and grace, husband of Lucy, father of five, jumped-up vicar (Area Bishop of Buckingham).
Born Edinburgh. Deacon 1979, Priest 1980, Bishop 2003. Cambridge MA, Oxford DPhil — ‘I am a doctor, but not the kind that helps people.’ I trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall. I have worked in various C of E contexts, urban and suburban, as well as in prison.